The pioneering programme is now even easier for contractors to use. The pioneer of ceiling recycling schemes, Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, has fine-tuned its award-winning* programme to make it as simple and as accessible as possible. It is now even easier for contractors to reduce their environmental impact and divert waste
Manufacturer’s systems now feature on all five Cardiff office buildings by JR Smart. Ultra-green ceiling tiles from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions feature again on the fifth and latest office building to rise in Cardiff’s Capital Quarter redevelopment. Specified by M2M Architects, they feature throughout the office areas at No 4 Capital
Black metal ceilings are a key feature of HSBC UK’s new headquarters. Armstrong Ceiling Solutions were specified for key features in a next-generation UK headquarters building because they are the architect’s trusted brand capable of supplying a complete system. Armstrong’s B-L302 jet black custom-mesh metal planks were complemented by the
A mineral tile that is ultra-green, even by Armstrong Ceilings’ standards, and a bespoke version of a metal tile feature on the £1 million conversion of a former farm building into the headquarters of a wind farm developer. Community Windpower’s new head office in the old market town of Frodsham,
When architects TP Bennett needed a trusted supplier to deliver their vision for a central London office refurbishment they knew immediately where to look. And it was Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, specifically 150m2 of the manufacturer’s configurable mesh metal K-H 400 MT tile and grid system featuring versatile hook-on planks, that
Mineral canopies and metal baffles and tiles feature at the organisation’s new-look HQ. The world’s leading commercial property and real estate services adviser has used a hat-trick of systems from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions to enhance the interiors of its refurbished headquarters. Some 600m2 of Armstrong’s VP-500 custom vertical metal baffles,
A showcase campus has enabled three schools to co-locate, while also providing a showpiece for a trio of Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, including TechZone™, the industry’s first easy-to-specify-and-install ceiling acoustic solution with integrated technical services. The new state-of-the-art Balloch Campus in West Dunbartonshire features three highly acoustic Armstrong Ceiling Solutions throughout
The pioneering programme is now even easier for contractors to use. The pioneer of ceiling recycling schemes, Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, has fine-tuned its award-winning* programme to make it as simple and as accessible as possible. It is now even easier for contractors to reduce their environmental impact and divert waste from landfill which also saves them money from the subsequent taxes as well as from skips and transportation costs. All contractors are now required to do is simply take down the old Armstrong acoustic mineral ceiling tiles** and stack them on pallets. In partnership with the local distributor, Armstrong will arrange collection free of charge*** and the old tiles will be 100% recycled into new ceiling tiles at the company’s production facility in Gateshead. The scheme for the UK and Ireland, which has been in place since 2003, enables Armstrong to minimise its impact on the environment by not only diverting its old products from landfill but also producing mineral ceiling tiles with even higher post-consumer recycled content, currently up to 82%. As well as the support it gets from distributors, Armstrong has also developed a “green” branch of its Omega network of approved sub-contractors, specifically for those installers with proven recycling expertise .. and they claim that as well as saving them landfill tax it also makes then more attractive for main contractors to use. Armstrong’s recycling programme for demolition, construction and renovation schemes has saved 15 million m2 of old ceiling tiles globally and diverted 61,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. And with 2,000m2 of recycled ceiling tiles equating to 7.6 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, that is a 14,000 kWh saving on energy. Projects have included the headquarters of main contractor Kier Construction, the temporary beach volleyball venue at Horse Guards Parade in London, and the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. A member of the UK Green Building Council, Armstrong also a partner in the Ceilings Sustainability Partnership, a working party of the AIS (Association of Interior Specialists) technical committee, which delivers on the actions within the Mineral Wool Ceiling Tile Resource Efficiency Action Plan (REAP). The REAP plan is intended to help the sector reduce the amount of mineral wool ceiling tiles going to landfill. Armstrong recycling case studies also feature as WRAP exemplars, including Birmingham University Hospital where almost 43 tonnes of ceiling tiles were diverted from landfill and an estimated 19.5 tonnes of embodied CO2 were offset. A new recycling programme leaflet, which has all the criteria information and steps to follow, is available from https://www.armstrongceilingsolutions.co.uk/en-gb/performance/sustainable-building-design/recycling-programmes.
Manufacturer’s systems now feature on all five Cardiff office buildings by JR Smart. Ultra-green ceiling tiles from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions feature again on the fifth and latest office building to rise in Cardiff’s Capital Quarter redevelopment. Specified by M2M Architects, they feature throughout the office areas at No 4 Capital Quarter, the eight-storey canal-side landmark office building designed to BREEAM “Excellent, in the heart of the city’s Enterprise Zone. The Dune eVo MicroLook mineral tiles had already been used by main contractor JR Smart on the five previous office projects and were specified, with their approval, for this latest, 96,870ft2 Grade A building which is now home to Sky UK, legal firm Geldards and financial services company Optimum Credit. The building incorporates the occupational density of open floor plates to suit the current and future needs of modern office occupiers as well as a central atrium, high-quality reception, sixth-floor roof terrace and ground-floor retail and leisure units. Some 11,000m2 of the 1200mm x 300mm Dune eVo panels were supplied to No 4 by the Cardiff branch of distributor Nevill Long and installed on the 2.7m floor-to-ceiling heights by specialist sub-contractor 2nd Generation Facades. Fully recyclable, Dune eVo is the next evolution in ceiling tiles. The tiles provide a balanced acoustic performance of up to 0.65 aw, Class C sound absorption, and a sound attenuating performance of up to 39 dB. The perforation design of Dune eVo is unique to standard tiles, creating a smooth, contemporary finish. Dune eVo has been highly engineered to have a reinforced edge that provides maximum durability and resilience, both in storage and application. It is the first ceiling system in the industry to gain Cradle to Cradle accreditation. Rhodri Morgan of M2M Architects said: “We specified Armstrong Ceilings’ Dune eVo system in the knowledge the client was happy with it on office buildings we had carried out for them.” Armstrong’s area sales manager for the UK’s south-west, Mark Turner, added: “This project showcases what a great visual can be achieved using Dune eVo MicroLook.” JR Smart has continued to bring prestigious new office space to market in the centre of the Welsh capital regardless of the wider economic climate. Since acquiring the seven-acre brownfield site, its Capital Quarter scheme is now home to some of the area’s leading companies and organisations, with all of its office schemes now fully let. Over the past decade, Capital Quarter, which began with the relatively modest (at 37,000ft2) Driscoll Buildings scheme, has provided more than 370,000ft2 of new office space and will eventually accommodate more than 3,000 staff. The wider Capital Quarter scheme is well on track to delivering over 1,000,000ft2 of development including residential, café and student accommodation. Number Four joins the existing office space at Capital Quarter that is already home to Finance Wales, Alert Logic, WSP-Parsons Brinckerhoff, Network Rail, Home Office, Public Health Wales and Opus Energy. The four-storey Driscoll Buildings completed in 2012. Capital Quarter’s first major office building – the nine-storey, 77,992ft2 Grade A No 1 Capital Quarter – followed soon after, with completion in 2014 and subsequent sale to the Welsh Government. The 85,077ft2 No 2 Capital Quarter was completed in March 2016 and in summer 2018 the seven-storey, 77,931ft2 No 3 was completed and part-let to consumer champion Which? JR Smart construction director Gareth Smart said: “It has been a great 12 months at Capital Quarter which is testament to the commitment and hard work of the whole Capital Quarter development team, including our professional advisers and sub-contractors who I would personally like to thank.” More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/
Black metal ceilings are a key feature of HSBC UK’s new headquarters. Armstrong Ceiling Solutions were specified for key features in a next-generation UK headquarters building because they are the architect’s trusted brand capable of supplying a complete system. Armstrong’s B-L302 jet black custom-mesh metal planks were complemented by the manufacturer’s Bandraster grid and Axiom blind box on levels 1 and 2 of the “university” reception, marketplace (canteen) and break-out areas for HSBC UK’s new headquarters at 1 Centenary Square at Arena Central in central Birmingham. They were selected by regular Armstrong users TP Bennett architects who, while referring to the client’s design guidelines, wanted at the same time to innovate to create a new kind of headquarters for HSBC UK to focus on retail banking and training for 2,500 people. Located on nine acres of a key regeneration area for the city and the former home of Carlton TV, the 11-storey, 210,000ft2 building with three basement levels is constructed of steel frame with rainscreen cladding and houses offices, the HSBC university, a staff gym, restaurant and café, and an executive suite with catering. Extensive landscaping and external public realm works help to create a new “urban meadow” and public square at what is now known as Bank Court for developers ACDL – a joint venture between Miller Developments and Pro Vinci Asset Management. The Armstrong systems form the main feature ceiling in the university reception area and the key break-out and collaboration areas and comprise 283m2 of 1210mm x 687mm metal planks with 71% open mesh area along with 193 metres of 100mm Bandraster unslotted exposed suspension grid and 272 metres of 100mm Axiom Blind Box transitions, both also in jet black (RAL 9005). TP Bennett associate director and interior designer Francesco Tidona said: “We specified the Armstrong systems because they are a trustworthy company who are able to provide a full system which is convenient as it includes the mesh tiles and the supporting structure as well the proprietary Blind Boxes which we integrated with linear luminaires.” They were installed for main contractor GallifordTry over two months by a team of 10 from specialist sub-contractor Taylor Hart, a member of Armstrong’s national network of approved Omega installers. Managing director Phil Lewis said: “The Armstrong products were excellent, incorporating a Blind Box to allow M&E to install lights into the system in place of the Bandraster grid in various areas. The system was easily built and the colour march was of a high quality for each of the components.” More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
A mineral tile that is ultra-green, even by Armstrong Ceilings’ standards, and a bespoke version of a metal tile feature on the £1 million conversion of a former farm building into the headquarters of a wind farm developer. Community Windpower’s new head office in the old market town of Frodsham, Cheshire, uses 300m2 of the new Dune eVo MicroLook tile in the back offices and canteen, and 250m2 of acoustic mineral tile Perla 0.95 dB (which performs to Sound Absorption Class A) in closed cell offices, both on the ground floor. In addition, 900m2 of metal MicroLook 1800mm x 300mm metal lay-in planks have been used in open-plan areas and corridors on the first floor. The new fully-recyclable Dune eVo tile and grid, the first ceiling system in the industry to gain Cradle to Cradle accreditation, provides Class C sound absorption as well as a brighter white aesthetic and excellent durability due to a reinforced fully-painted edge. The metal tiles at Community Windpower were specially over-perforated so their ultra-micro perforations continue around the edges of the plank to give an even greater aesthetic and acoustic performance. The highly light-reflecting Armstrong systems were specified for the 20,000ft2 steel-frame building by Community Windpower managing director Rod Wood on the recommendation of specialist lighting manufacturer XAL who provided lighting throughout the new office. The precision of the Dune eVo and Perla tiles was particularly needed to maximise the indirect illumination from XAL’s scheme, notably the suspended Mino linear system upstairs and XAL’s ultra-slim Task office system in the downstairs boardrooms. He was looking for ceiling systems that were “modern, artistic and bespoke” to complement the lighting systems. “They are one of the key features interfacing with modern lighting designs,” he said. “The linear panel works well with the rectangle structure of the building and their clean and bright features also help with this. They have accommodated pitch issues well as well as light wells, air-conditioning and lighting. “Armstrong had products that suited our building and the contractors were confident they could be installed. I’m very happy with the result.” The Armstrong systems were installed over two weeks, on the upper floor to sloped internal eaves, by a team of up to eight from Heatons Ceilings who are a member of Armstrong’s Omega national network of approved specialist sub-contractors. Chris Heaton said: “The metal ceiling is at high levels/atria in the building which made it challenging to install but it really does look amazing from the ground floor. There are not many jobs with this specification in such long planks, especially as they were sloped to both sides. Instead of having a 10mm border the edges were perforated edges for aesthetics as well as acoustics. It is a little special and kind of a one-off. The Armstrong products worked and performed well to give a fantastic end result.” Community Windpower is at the forefront of wind energy development in the UK with over 800MW built, under construction and in development. As proven renewable energy specialists, the business is experienced in the identification, design, development, construction and operation of onshore wind farms and currently has six operational wind farms in Scotland, with a further three approved for development. More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
When architects TP Bennett needed a trusted supplier to deliver their vision for a central London office refurbishment they knew immediately where to look. And it was Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, specifically 150m2 of the manufacturer’s configurable mesh metal K-H 400 MT tile and grid system featuring versatile hook-on planks, that they specified for areas of the ground floor of 65 Gresham Street. Project director Pragna Shah said: “The product needed to suit an adaptive, flexible and creative design for our work with a client that is an industry disruptor and has a brand message of ‘out of the ordinary’.” And that proved the case from the moment go as the Armstrong systems were originally specified for a dining hall and informal lounge with adjacent booths on one side but by the time it came to installation the dining hall had become open-plan office space. Nevertheless, the jet black (RAL 9005 with 5% gloss) mesh metal tiles from Armstrong, customised with a larger-than-usual 70% open area mesh and installed using a standard crossing box and c-profile suspension system with 75mm trim strips and custom metal bulkheads around the complete perimeter of the space, deliver the industrial aesthetic the architect was looking for, complete with functionality as the exposed services above the ceiling needed to be accessible. Pragna Shah said: “The Armstrong system suited the design intent. The mesh ceiling was complicated in that it needed to meet lots of criteria, such as access and fixed sizes, and we needed a trusted supplier to help us deliver our vision. “It helps to create a more contemporary and industrial aesthetic with the addition of up lighting creating an inviting atmosphere. The client is an exciting organisation and our partnership has delivered a workspace that enables new ways of working and captures the vitality and essence of their brand.” The Armstrong systems were installed over two months by a team of up to 10 from specialist sub-contractor OCP Contracts for fit-out and refurbishment specialists BW: Workplace Experts who required the installation to be defect free at completion. OCP are a member of Armstrong’s Omega network of approved ceiling installers. OCP’s contracts manager Charles Corbyn said: “Due to the complex nature of the bespoke mesh metal ceiling, OCP liaised with Armstrong’s technical department and together ensured we could achieve procurement for the project. ‘With OCP’s team of specialist fixers, it allowed for a straightforward and perfect installation which is versatile and met what the client had specified. OCP were privileged to have been given the opportunity to install the bespoke ceiling system and are excited by the changes within the industry towards more specialist ceiling systems and unique designs.” More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
Mineral canopies and metal baffles and tiles feature at the organisation’s new-look HQ. The world’s leading commercial property and real estate services adviser has used a hat-trick of systems from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions to enhance the interiors of its refurbished headquarters. Some 600m2 of Armstrong’s VP-500 custom vertical metal baffles, 3,250m2 of Optima L circular and custom-shaped canopies, 150m2 of DH-700 black mesh metal clip-in tiles, and 130m2 of C Profile suspension system were specified for the CBRE’s new-look offices in Milan for their form and function. The design of the offices is inspired by the modern principles of activity-based working, a revolutionary concept that replaces allocated seating layouts with a more flexible approach to the working environment, with the aim of improving productivity through continuous and efficient interaction between employees. For this reason, the new offices in the CBRE headquarters were protagonists of an aesthetic re-design project inspired by the values of innovation, wellness and flexibility, which perfectly mirrors the company’s global strategy, “Workplace 360”. According to the principles of Workplace 360, hierarchical barriers have been completely lifted in favour of sharing, improving accessibility and exchanging ideas. The working environment is completely open with unassigned seats which can be booked daily through users’ smart phones. In addition, specific areas are dedicated to those who need silence and focus as well as relaxation and wellness. Based on this concept, an in-house CBRE team, supported by Efrem Milia, an interior designer with Milan’s EMA Design Studio, has influenced and defined the functional and organisational aspects. This cooperation allowed CBRE to intervene in each decision, both technically and decoratively. The result is an exclusive and carefully refined 2,500m2 venue inspired by the historical areas of Milan – the first floor echoing the Navigli canal area, the second the Brera art district, and lastly, the sixth the fashion district. The decision to leave part of the ceiling with exposed building service elements determined the need to intervene with elements that delivered both aesthetics and acoustics. And this is where the CBRE looked to Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, due to their extensive range of products and their ability to create tailored solutions that satisfy any project’s need. In this case, a different Armstrong solution has been chosen for each floor of the renovation, with each providing an aesthetic solution, capable of integrating itself with the space and the different surrounding materials while creating comfortable working environments. The 3,250m2 of Optima L white mineral canopies, in [tbc]diameter circles and bespoke squares with two rounded corners, contributed to shaping the common areas on the first floor. These elements feature originality and modernity as well as acoustic support. Canopy ceilings combine aesthetics with acoustic performance aimed at ensuring a higher sound absorption ratio compared to a continuous ceiling with the same visible surface. The sound is absorbed both by the front and the back surface of the panel. This significantly contributes to the reduction of reverberation time and increases the intelligibility of speech. For the second-floor offices, Armstrong’s design team conceived a special broken-line pattern for the micro-perforated black mesh metal ceilings. These are ideal for installations in open-plan spaces where it is necessary to reduce noise pollution. A solution that creates an extremely dynamic visual effect, it is available in individual and multiple configurations, thanks to the C Profile suspension system that allows a tidy and clean alignment of the elements. Lastly, on the sixth floor, in addition to the white baffles, C Profiles of different sizes have been used to embellish, through light and shade, the ceiling of the “Multipurpose Room”, a multi-functional room with different space configurations and a huge art wall. Head of project management Alberto Cominelli said: “The office is no longer just a work space. It has actually become a company’s hallmark, where spaces are designed to bring inspiration, exchange ideas and create innovation. Only by creating a comfortable environment equipped with facilities dedicated to the people is it possible to increase engagement and motivate staff. Interior designers are more and more inspired by home and hotel designs, bringing an unprecedented breath of innovation to the world of offices.” Armstrong area sales manager Jordan Brocchi added: “We would like to thank CBRE and architect Efrem Milia for trusting our solutions and involving us, giving value to the potential offered by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions in terms of personalisation. “Now more than ever we are witnessing an increasing number of requests from architects and interior designers for support in the design of highly-customised solutions, to free their creativity in line with the rapidly evolving current trends. The requests are extremely diverse and to best respond to them, Armstrong has boosted its structure with a team of dedicated and highly-qualified engineers.”
A showcase campus has enabled three schools to co-locate, while also providing a showpiece for a trio of Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, including TechZone™, the industry’s first easy-to-specify-and-install ceiling acoustic solution with integrated technical services. The new state-of-the-art Balloch Campus in West Dunbartonshire features three highly acoustic Armstrong Ceiling Solutions throughout – Perla OP 0.95 Tegular mineral tiles on Prelude 24 TLX grid, Parafon Hygien Board mineral tiles on a 24mm corrosion-resistant grid, and Armstrong’s revolutionary TechZone™ integrated ceiling system incorporating Perla OP MicroLook planks. Delivered by main contractor Morgan Sindall, they were specified by architects Holmes Miller for the £16 million campus for “cost and quality” reasons and installed by Armstrong’s Green Omega specialist sub-contractor Brian Hendry Interiors. As part of their membership of Armstrong’s Green Omega network of recycling installers Brian Hendry Interiors also recycled 300m2 of the new ceiling tile off-cuts during the installation process, preventing almost a tonne of material going to landfill and the consumption of an equivalent weight of raw materials. For maximum acoustic comfort some 1,600m2 of Perla OP 0.95 600mm x 600mm tiles with a Tegular edge detail within a standard 24mm grid were used in offices, classrooms and stores. These tiles perform to Sound Absorption Class A and were also the first mineral ceiling tile in Europe to win Cradle to Cradle™ certification as part of the new generation of sustainable and acoustic ceilings offered by Armstrong. In the corridors and breakout areas Armstrong’s TechZone™ integrated ceiling system was specified with a 15mm XL2 grid, fabricated to special lengths of 900, 2100 and 2400mm. Incorporating 800m2 of Perla OP 0.95 1200mm x 300mm MicroLook, the TechZone™ system was specified to achieve the aesthetics of a linear plank system and seamlessly integrate and complement the 100mm wide linear lighting arrangement. In addition, it addressed the clutter of services above in a crowded corridor installation and provided an acoustic Class A product to reduce unwanted noise in the busy ceiling plane. To complete the trio of Armstrong ceiling systems installed at Balloch Campus, 160m2 of Parafon Hygien 600mm x 600mm tiles, which offer Class A sound absorption, 95% humidity resistance and clean room classification to ISO 4, were used within a 24mm corrosion-resistant grid in the high humidity zones, such as the kitchen areas and stores. The new 53,280ft2 campus has been built on the site of the former St Kessog’s Primary and provides a new home for it, along with Haldene Primary and Jamestown Primary, to create the newly-formed school, Balloch Primary Campus*. An Additional Support Needs (ASN) unit and a new Balloch Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC**) are also operating at the site. In total there are 21 open-plan flexible learning spaces for the potential 747 students, as well as a centrally-located shared administrative areas, gym halls and assembly area, while the ASN has capacity to assist 36 pupils with a varying range of support needs. The £16 million campus represents a major investment in the education offering in the area by West Dunbartonshire Council through what is now the Scottish Procurement Alliance. This supports the efficient construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings throughout Scotland. With multiple stakeholders across the three schools and the local authority, the framework procurement route afforded early-stage collaboration on design, budget and timescales. The 16-month steel frame build to BIM Level 2 was completed on schedule and to budget. Brian Hendry Interiors had a team of up to 16 operatives, including apprentices, on site for five months.
